Magpies wait for striker's response

NEWCASTLE United hope to make a breakthrough in their attempts to sign a second striker in the coming days, but they could be made to wait with one of their top targets, Bafetimbi Gomis, mulling over a number of offers.

Alan Pardew has already acquired 20-year-old Ayoze Perez from Tenerife, but having lost Loic Remy, Shola Ameobi and Luuk De Jong, the Magpies boss is in the market for two more front men to boost his options ahead of the new season.

Pardew has been linked with a string of forwards at home and abroad, including Ross McCormack, Danny Ings and Pierre-Michel Lasogga, but so far they have been frustrated in their attempts to complete a third summer signing and have turned their attentions back to long-term target Gomis.

French newspaper L’Equipe reported that the Magpies have offered the former Lyon striker a lucrative deal including a 2.5million Euro signing-on fee and wages in the region of £70,000 per week.

Those numbers might seem a little high given the club’s strict wage policy in recent years, but with a healthy transfer budget the Magpies can afford to offer such packages if they do not have to shell out on a transfer fee.

Newcastle hope their offer will entice Gomis, but it appears the Frenchman is weighing up all his options before making a final decision.

There is interest from Turkish duo Galatasaray and Fenerbahce – both will compete in the Champions League next season – and there is a worry the pair could both offer Gomis more money to sign.

The Tynesiders passed on the opportunity to sign de Jong on a permanent deal and the Dutch striker could be heading back to his homeland with PSV Eindhoven interested offering him an escape route out of Borussia Monchengladbach.

Meanwhile, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa’s proposed move to Bordeaux could be back on, but only if Newcastle agree to a loan deal.

Bordeaux president Jean Louis Tiraud revealed last week that the defender’s wages and valuation were too high, but during a press conference to unveil new manager Willy Sagnol, Tiraud admitted a deal could yet be resurrected.

He said: “He is an excellent player with one defect, he was bought very expensively by Newcastle and his salary is high.

“The problem with the idea of a loan is most clubs wait until the 31st August, because they are still trying to sell the player.”

The Magpies paid Montpellier £6.5m to land Yanga-Mbiwa in January 2013, but he has struggled to nail down a regular place ahead of Fabricio Coloccini and Mike Williamson.